Every year MGOC welcomes new members who wish to share their horticultural knowledge with the public. Members must complete specified educational requirements within 3 years of joining, must volunteer at least 30 hours of time each year and must  keep their knowledge up to date.

MGOC has adopted a plan to accept new members at one time each year.  Applications will be accepted from July 1st to September 15th.  In October, the applicants will be invited to participate in an orientation meeting via Zoom.  Interested applicants will be asked to provide further information and will be individually interviewed.  Those who are invited to join will be asked to attend the November meeting. At that point, those who are interested will be asked to sign the Master Gardener Agreement and will officially join in January.

Frequently Asked Questions About Membership 

Why should I consider becoming a member of Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton (MGOC)?

If you have a passion for gardening, are keen to back it up with science, and want to help others learn too, Master Gardeners could be for you. Taking the courses will give you a foundation in science.Working with Master Gardeners will surround you with a supportive group, enhance your knowledge, and help you find meaningful ways to share what you know. 

What kinds of volunteering are involved in acquiring the 30 hours ?

Our mandate is to support the public in their gardening endeavours, and we do this in various ways. We have booths at farmers’ markets. We make presentations to horticultural societies and other groups. We answer questions on our email hotline and Facebook group. We publish a newsletter on topics of interest and relevance. Some volunteer hours can be gained through participating in the administration of the group. We require members to attend meetings, time that also counts for hours. 

As you can see, our work is an opportunity to exercise and develop your communication skills and leadership potential as well as advance your gardening.

Will I be designing people’s gardens or working in them?

No. Our role is one of advice and consultation. There are MGOC members who have garden service businesses, to whom we can refer requests, as well as the umbrella organization Landscape Ontario. Volunteer hours are not given for working in someone’s garden. 

I love gardening but am not sure I have the time to volunteer.

Many people are masterful gardeners without becoming members of Master Gardeners, and there are many ways to learn and share your love of gardening. Horticultural societies and garden clubs offer talks by experts and connection to a gardening community. Many quality webinars are available online. You can even take the MG courses from the University of Guelph or Dalhousie University without being a member of a Master Gardeners group.

I have only been gardening for a few years. Can I still join?

Most Master Gardeners have many years of experience before joining, but some are more recent gardeners and have discovered a strong passion to learn and share knowledge. We often recommend that people join horticultural groups before applying to Master Gardeners.

Can I attend meetings virtually and do my volunteering online?

In-person contact is the foundation of MGOC and remains its core. Technology supports us in many ways but is not a replacement for the individual and group development that occurs in person.  

I don’t live in Ottawa. Can I still join your group?

We recommend that you live within an hour’s drive of Ottawa for the interpersonal contact and for the relevance of growing conditions. 

The courses are expensive. Do you offer subsidies?

Unfortunately, we are not equipped to offer subsidies. Members who successfully complete courses and four full years of volunteering have in the past received partial tuition refunds with our group, and we hope to be able to continue this support. 

An alternative to the courses is the self-study model with a qualifying test. This is usually undertaken by people with experience in the horticultural field.